


don't you know that the kids aren't alright

by Story_Teller_Of_Untold_Legends



Series: Sage's Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: (no one actually dies), Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Banter, Canon-Typical Violence, Choking, Episode: s02e05 Always Two There Are, Family Dynamics, Force Choking (Star Wars), Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Hurt/Comfort, Interrogation, Possible Character Death, Team as Family, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23618173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Story_Teller_Of_Untold_Legends/pseuds/Story_Teller_Of_Untold_Legends
Summary: What if things went a little differently when Ezra and Sabine were captured by the Inquisitors on the old medical station?(a scene rewrite from "Always Two There Are")
Relationships: (can be romantic if you squint), Ezra Bridger & Sabine Wren
Series: Sage's Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700098
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	don't you know that the kids aren't alright

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this using the "choking" prompt from my Bad Things Happen Bingo card! Also, fic title comes from "The Kids Aren't Alright" by Fall Out Boy.

Ezra stubbornly stared down the Seventh Sister. Her red blade hovered close to his throat, but he refused to tell her anything. How did the Inquisitors even  _ know _ about Ahsoka?! As far as Ezra and the other rebels knew, the Empire shouldn’t have been aware of her- but that clearly was no longer the case.

“What has the boy revealed?” a voice asked. Ezra’s gaze shot over to see the Fifth Brother, with Sabine in tow. He shoved her forward, and she fell to her hands and knees beside Ezra.

“Nothing I wish to share. Contact your friends and bring them here, that’s all I ask,” the Seventh Sister demanded. 

“Let me think about that… ah- no,” Ezra replied, pretending to ponder his answer before glaring at the Seventh Sister.

“Contact your friends,” the Seventh Sister repeated evenly, leveling her lightsaber at him. Ezra grit his teeth in frustration.

“I’m not talking to you right now. Sabine, where’s Zeb?” Ezra asked, turning to her with a questioning look.

“We tried to fight, but Zeb never had a chance,” she replied, regret crossing her features. Ezra’s stomach dropped.

“What are you saying?” he asked, refusing to accept what Sabine was implying.

“Your friend is dead,” the Seventh Sister said with a soft, yet morbid sense of glee. Ezra’s eyes widened, and he would have leapt to his feet if not for the Seventh’s Sister’s lightsaber still being held threateningly towards him.

“No! He can’t be- you’re lying! Sabine, she’s gotta be lying!” he cried out, looking to Sabine again. She only frowned, shaking her head sadly.

“I don’t know, Ezra,” she replied, her shaking voice just barely a whisper.

“He’s dead, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Now for the last time- contact your friends!” she demanded, shifting her lightsaber away from Ezra to instead reach out towards him with the Force once more. Ezra grit his teeth, trying to block out the tendrils of the Force trying to latch into his mind.

“No,” he groaned out, glaring at the Seventh Sister. Her mouth set in a firm line as she pushed harder with the Force. Ezra let out a pained groan as he writhed against her attempt to control him, refusing to let her in.

“Augh! Enough of this,” she muttered, dropping her hand. Ezra let out a shuddering breath, slumping against the control panel slightly. Sabine looked at him with concern, looking like she wanted to do nothing more than reach out and comfort him, but didn’t want to risk agitating the Inquisitors. The Seventh Sister seemed to notice Sabine’s impulse to rush to Ezra’s aid, and a cruel smirk curled her lips. She turned to the Fifth Brother, giving him a curt nod. A malicious grin split his face, and Sabine was suddenly pulled up and away from Ezra. The Fifth Brother made a clenching motion with his hand, and a strangled gasp escaped Sabine as her hands leapt to her throat, trying to pry away hands that weren’t there.

“Sabine!” Ezra cried out, eyes wide with horror as Sabine struggled in midair, choked-off sounds escaping her as she tried to breathe.

“Contact the rebels, or you will lose another one of your companions,” the Fifth Brother growled.

“Ezra…” Sabine managed to gasp out before the Fifth Brother clenched his hand tighter. Ezra couldn’t tell if Sabine had been pleading with him to help her, or to call their friends, and he found himself more or less paralyzed with fear. If he did nothing, Sabine would die. If he called Kanan or Hera for help, so many more would die. Luckily, Ezra didn’t have to make a choice, as his comlink suddenly beeped.

“Hello, Spectre 6. Come in. Do you read? This is Commander Mayloorun,” Zeb’s voice came, and Ezra barely managed to stifle his relief at hearing the Lasat’s voice. The Fifth Brother’s brow furrowed, and he let Sabine fall to the ground. She landed on her hands and knees, one hand massaging her throat slightly as she took in gasps of air.

“Answer him,” the Fifth Brother demanded, his hand still outstretched towards Sabine threateningly.

“Y-yes, Commander Mayloorun, I can hear you,” Ezra said, trying to keep his voice steady.

“You missed your check-in. Am I correct in assuming mechanical difficulties have got your craft stranded again and you are in need of help with repairs?” Zeb’s voice came. Ezra swallowed nervously, unsure of how to reply- or if he even should reply. The Fifth Brother seemed displeased with Ezra’s hesitation, as he ignited his lightsaber and pointed it at Sabine.

“Answer him,” the Seventh Sister encouraged, seeming like she was trying to suppress a smirk at Ezra and Sabine’s predicament. Ezra’s mouth twisted into a frown.

“I- I wouldn’t say we’re stranded again…” Ezra trailed off, trying to seem lighthearted. The Fifth Brother grit his teeth together, grabbed Sabine by her head and pulled her up to her feet. He moved his blade to hover near her throat, and Ezra internally cursed his moment of cockiness.

“But then again, maybe we could use some help. Bring Kanan and… better bring Ahsoka too,” Ezra continued, hoping his answer would satisfy the Inquisitors. Fortunately, they were, and the Fifth Brother sheathed his lightsaber, and shoved Sabine towards Ezra.

“Very well. Meet you in Bay 6. And don't worry, we'll fix everything. Just keep your chin up and it'll all be fine,” Zeb replied through the comlink. Ezra and Sabine exchanged nervous looks. Just what was Zeb planning?

* * *

As it turned out, Zeb’s plan worked out pretty well. After detaching the Phantom from the ceiling and scooping up Sabine and Ezra, they hightailed it out of the old medical station and back to the Ghost. They told Kanan the distressing news of not one, but  _ two _ Inquisitors, and after that, it was reporting the events of the mission to Commander Sato.

Ezra wandered down the main corridor towards the cockpit on the Ghost. He stopped in front of Sabine’s door, and before he could decide against it, he walked in. He saw Sabine sitting on the seat below her bunk, hands idly fiddling with a near-empty can of spray paint. Ezra grimaced when he noticed the faint bruising around her neck, but shook it off and tried for his usual lopsided grin.

“You’re gonna spray that thing in your face if you aren’t careful,” he teased, relieved when it got a light laugh out of Sabine.

“Might spray it in  _ your _ face if  _ you _ aren’t careful,” she teased back with a smile- but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Ezra frowned, unsure if he should get closer to her or just leave Sabine alone.

“Are you okay?” he blurted, seemingly against his will. Sabine hesitated, one hand absentmindedly going to her throat. She dropped the hand as soon as she had brought it up, letting out a sigh.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Sabine said, her eyes meeting Ezra’s. Ezra squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a shaky sigh before opening them again, refusing to meet Sabine’s gaze.

“How is it not my fault?! The Inquisitors are after me, and Kanan- and Ahsoka too! And they hurt you to try and get to me- if Zeb hadn’t called… I don’t know what I would have done,” Ezra rambled, voice strained.

“You’re just a kid, Ez. You shouldn’t have to be put in situations like that,” Sabine replied softly.

“You’re not that much older than me,” Ezra pointed out. In any other situation, the phrase would have sounded indignant coming from Ezra. But in this case? He was the most solemn he had ever been. They were both kids, really. Kids hopelessly intertwined in a galaxy-wide war.

“I guess you have a point- but I’m not gonna stop fighting the Empire,” Sabine said firmly, her gaze almost challenging Ezra to doubt her.

“Didn’t say you had to. And I don’t plan on stopping either,” Ezra replied defiantly. Sabine chuckled, shaking her head fondly.

“I’ve never really thought about how crazy this all really is,” Sabine huffed out with a sigh.

“Yeah… but hey, at least we’ve got each other, right?” Ezra asked, looking to Sabine semi-sheepishly. She set down the spray paint, then got up and walked over to Ezra so that she could ruffle his hair fondly.

“Of course, Ez- I’ll always fight for you, and I know you’ve got my back too. That’s how family works.”


End file.
